After Bust, the Complications of Re-Staging the Big Bay Boom

The company behind the now-infamous says it will pay for another sky show, but the fireworks aren't the only issue. 

There are permits to be secured and public safety expenses to be considered as well.

August Santore, co-owner of Garden State Fireworks, the company in charge of the pyrotechnics, said he would be willing to donate the $8,000 worth of fireworks necessary for at least one branch of the show, but may not be willing to cover costs beyond pyrotechnics.

“If I could, I’d love to just write everybody a check for everything that’s went wrong in my life, but I can’t,” he said Friday. “I wouldn’t be in business very long.”

Logistical issues like environmental permits may prevent a show from happening before next July, said Sandy Purdon, whose firm H.P. Purdon & Co. organized the event.

“It just might be too complicated, but we’re going to talk about it with the port,” Purdon said. 

Fireworks make up about one-third of more than $300,000 necessary to fund the Big Bay Boom, he said.

It’s still too soon to tell whether funding from the Port of San Diego could assist in reducing costs next year, said spokeswoman Marguerite Elicone.

“We’re still in discussions until we find a resolution,” she said.

In what quickly became international news, fireworks on the pier in Imperial Beach and on barges in San Diego Bay launched prematurely for a extremely short but truly spectacular Fourth of July show.

Hundreds of thousands of people packed the bayfront, from San Diego to Coronado's Ferry Landing to IB, and hundreds of thousands of dollars were invested by cities, the Port of San Diego and sponsors, but the whole show went up in smoke in less than 30 seconds.

A day after the bust heard round the world, Garden State Fireworks officials said they would be willing to provide a complimentary show before next year.

No date has been set, and event sponsors and organizers said it’s still too soon to say what will happen.

The Big Bay Bust was caused when primary and secondary computer files crossed, Santore said.

“There are things in life we don’t like, and that was one of them,” he said. “If something was wrong Monday or Tuesday, we could have flown in equipment from all over the world, but there was no indication anything was wrong.”

He defended his company's failure by pointing to other business mishaps. 

“Airplanes crash sometimes, and people still get on planes,” he said. “Toyota killed hundreds of people ... and everybody’s buying Toyotas.”

The Santore family business has carried out firework shows for Olympic ceremonies, at the Statue of Liberty, on the Mall in Washington, D.C. and other locations for more than 100 years.

Garden State Fireworks has lost thousands of dollars at the Big Bay Boom in the past three years, Santore said, but high-profile shows are the cost the company pays “to stay in the limelight.”

The Big Bay Boom accomplished that.

“We’ve got more attention than when bin Laden died, and all I really did was a show that went up and didn’t last long enough.”

“It’s a heartbreaker for us and all the people who came out to attend on the Fourth of July,” he said. “But I’m sure people will continue to watch our fireworks.”

City's share of the Big Bay Boom costs vary; for example Imperial Beach's expenses are $60,000 for public safety and emergency services. The city covers half, while the Port and sponsors contribute the rest, according to City Manager Gary Brown.